5 days ago
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Nathalie Tomada - The Philippine Star
March 11, 2025 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — For IU and Park Bo-gum, the chance to work together was reason enough to say yes to starring in the newest K-drama “When Life Gives You Tangerines.”
Set against the backdrop of 1960s to present-day Jeju Island, the series follows the lifelong love story of Ae-sun (IU), a high-spirited dreamer, and Gwan-sik (Bo-gum) a devoted man, as they go through the seasons of life together.
Directed by Kim Won-suk (“Misaeng: Incomplete Life, My Mister”) and written by Lim Sang-choon (“When the Camellia Blooms, Fight for My Way”), the drama explores love and how the passing of time shapes relationships.
During a virtual roundtable with select press from the Philippines and Thailand, IU and Bo-gum shared more about the project, which world-premiered on Netflix over the weekend. Below are excerpts from the interview:
IU is Ae-sun, a spirited young woman who dreams of going to the university and becoming a successful poet someday.
On the main attraction of the series:
IU: “First of all, I think I was moved mostly by the fact that it’s such a beautiful love story and secondly, the fact that I get to portray different stages of life of one character.
“That was very appealing to me because it was a new challenge that I can take on as an actor. And also, of course, the fact that I would be working alongside Bo-gum as my partner. That sealed the deal. It’s something that I cannot pass up.”
Bo-gum: “For me as well, I’ve said this before, that the fact that we get to portray all four seasons of Ae-sun and Gwan-sik’s lives… I think I was firstly drawn to that aspect. And also how it’s a drama series that I would be proud to watch with my family members even after quite a lot of time has passed. Also, how this was a story that I would proudly suggest to my fans to watch as well. And of course, the fact that I get to work alongside IU.”
Bo-gum plays IU's childhood friend-turned-sweetheart Gwan-sik, who will do everything to support Ae-sun's big aspirations.
On how the show made them reflect on their own personal changes:
IU: “Yes, I’ve thought about that and also because I have been working in this industry since my teenage years, I think the changes and growth that I’ve gone through are a little more obvious because you have them on record, right? The way I present myself and the way I speak, among other things — I quite literally have a record of how I’ve changed over the years.
“I think, compared to my teenage years, I’ve grown to become a lot more relaxed. And also, I think my view of the world has become more filled with joy, I would say. Because when I was younger, I tend to be a little bit more aloof in terms of the way I view the world. But now that I’m in my 30s, I think I’ve grown to become more at ease.”
Bo-gum: “For me as well. When I think about all of the time that has passed since my teenage years and through my acting career, as well as going through my studies and serving in the military, I was given the chance to meet more people and experience a lot more things. And that has allowed me to have a wider view of the world, I think. It has also allowed me to be more introspective and to really just look at what I’ve gone through and been through. And I think in that way, I have matured a lot.”
On what advice they would give to their younger selves:
Bo-gum: “To myself, as a student, I think I would like to say that whatever you’re doing now is enough. You’re doing very well, you are going to continue to do very well. So bless you.”
IU: “To my younger self, I would like to say, just try it and then, if it doesn’t seem to work out, just go back. You have a lot of opportunities and time ahead of you. So, if something doesn’t feel right, just get out of it.”
Set in Jeju, South Korea, the drama follows Ae-sun and Gwan-sik's love story through the years, experiencing the different seasons of life together.
Photos courtesy of Netflix
On what they learned from their characters and the story:
IU: “You know the saying it takes a village to raise a child? Very similar to that in our drama series, particularly towards the latter episode, there’s a line that goes, it takes a village to save one life or one person’s life, and I think that’s one of the very important messages that we want to convey through our drama series.
“While the lives of every individual is important, just as important is the solidarity and the way we care for one another and just being each other’s night guards in our lives. And I think that really gives way to an enhanced humanity and a lot richer humanity. That’s something that I truly felt while working on the series.
“And so not just about the romantic love between Ae-sun and Gwan-sik, but also just the human-to-human and heart-to-heart relationships, and the solidarity are the things that the drama series is speaking about.”
Bo-gum: “I fully agree and also related to everything that IU just said. I think it’s just not about romantic love itself, but just also about the human-to-human connection and the way we care for one another truly like the way that Gwan-sik looks at Ae-sun and his unwavering, undying love for her.
“On top of that, the diligence that you see as part of the nature of Gwan-sik and also the agape love that he expresses to Ae-sun and those around him — watching that about my character, I just felt like he’s such an admirable man. It also made me learn that I also want to be a diligent and loyal person just as he is.”
